Down the Rabbit Hole - Book Four

11. Heaven Can't Help Me Now

"World Walkers?" I widen my eyes with shock. "As in... whoever attacked you isn't from this dimension?"

The soldiers nod. Suddenly before any of them can say anything else, movement from the forest behind us makes us all turn to look.

It's the rest of the soldiers, swiftly returning on horseback, they must have lost who they were fighting. "Ace of Spades, sir!" The soldiers around me wave him over.

I tilt my head back as an enormous black and white Shire horse lumbers over to me and my crew.

Atop the horse sits the Ace of Spades. He is completely clad in stunning black and white armor with ivory tusks emitting from his pauldrons, a long silky white cape flutters behind him as he jumps off his steed to bow to me.

"My Alice," he has a rich French accent and a firm, calm tone. "Such a pity we should be officially meeting like this." He gives a curt bow to Quill and Mom. "We were attacked by World Walkers, My Excellencies. A scouting party witnessed a portal being opening out in the tundra, word barely reached us before the Walkers were upon us. They had no interest in peace or conversation but instead tried to completely destroy the castle."

I don't think my heart has stopped skipping a beat yet. "Why?" This is all so unbelievable, I'm genuinely astounded.

"Aside from insisting that they were to be this realm's undoing, they had little to say in First Common." He sighs as he lifts his helmet off. He is probably my mom's age and has silver streaks swirled through his black hair like marble and a neatly shaved goatee around his mouth. He's rather handsome. Just throwing that out there. "They have unprecedented powers, particularly the two leaders, they caused an avalanche that crippled the castle."

"What kind of powers?" Quill asks.

"Bizarre Talents, almost like black magic," the Ace shakes his head. "I've never seen such powers before though, they must be from an exceptionally wild realm."

"You must send whatever forces you have left after these World Walkers," Quill says quickly. "They are obviously dangerous and deranged; we can't very well have them starting a war." The soldiers salute and turn to mount their horses again.

"Wait!" Mom anxiously speaks up, much to everyone's surprise. "Don't go!" She suddenly realizes everyone is staring at her. She swallows hard before going on. "I mean... There's nothing  you soldiers can do to stop them," she bites her lip nervously.

"You sound like you know something important, Prophetess," the Ace of Spades says guardedly as he eyes her. "What aren't you telling us?"

"Mom, what is it?" I ask urgently. Her pale purple eyes are enormous with fear and, much to my shock, I sense guilt emitting from her aura. "Mom?"

"I...I think I know what's going on here," she gulps as she looks us over, everyone looks about as stunned as I feel. "You see," she nervously tucks her hair behind her ear. "I used to get visions of this moment."

"You've seen this before?" The Ace of Spades demands. Mom anxiously nods. "When?"

"Wait, this is the vision you saw a few days ago, right?" I ask, I remember Mom having a vision about World Walkers but she had refused to tell me any of the details.

She bites her lip and now reluctantly shakes her head. "Actually, hon....I've been having this particular vision for years."

"Years?!" My jaw drops.

"Yeah," she winces. "I first started having this...horrifying vision about twenty years ago. I tried not to think much of it though. I mean, Prophets are incredibly rare, I never had a teacher or anyone to help me with my powers so I kinda just take each vision with a grain of salt, y'know? I'd go crazy if I believed in everything I see."